Complete guide to studying in Canada
Everything you need to know about becoming an international student in Canada
A quick introduction to Canada
Canada is a vast country located in the continent of North America, the second largest country by area in the world. It is also a country with very low population density, with the highest concentration of its inhabitants living in the south of the country, where it shares a border with the United States.
Visitors to Canada can enjoy some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, with vast rocky mountain ranges, natural parklands, forests, lakes and more to explore.
Students choosing to study in Canada will benefit from a high quality of life, with U.S. News ranking Canada as 5th in the world for quality of life due to its education levels, healthcare, economic stability and healthy job market.
As an international student, you will find that the population of Canada is very diverse, with a recent census indicating that 4 in 10 people in Canada report that they have more than one country of origin.
With so many benefits to offer international students, it is not surprising that Canada is a highly popular choice for studying abroad, and with over 1,000,000 foreign students studying in the country in 2023, it ranks as the third most popular destination in the world for foreign student enrollment.
There are two official languages in Canada, English, which is the first language of around 55% of the population, and French, which is the first language of around 22% of the population. This is reflected in the countries of origin of international students in Canada, where French students account for over 20,000 of the current student population.
Canada is a popular study destination for students around the world, with the majority of international students arriving from countries including India, China, the Philippines, France, Nigeria, Iran and Nepal.
Canada is governed by both its national government, and the governments of its ten provinces. There are also three territorial governments. The universities of the country are operated by the provincial and territorial governments.
For you as a student, the quality of your study experience will be broadly the same regardless of which province your chosen university is located in, but your lifestyle and even the language you study in may differ between provinces and territories.
Canada’s higher education system
Universities
There are around 96 public universities in Canada, the majority of which are part of the membership organisation named Universities Canada, which advocates for the universities in government and aims to build collaboration both between Canadian universities and also their international partners.
The public universities can be divided into their regional provinces as follows:
- Alberta – 9 universities
- British Columbia – 12 universities
- Manitoba – 6 universities
- New Brunswick – 4 universities
- Nova Scotia – 9 universities
- Newfoundland & Labrador – 1 university
- Ontario – 29 universities
- Prince Edward Island – 1 university
- Québec (which is the primarily French speaking province of Canada) – 19 universities
- Saskatchewan – 6 universities
There are also several privately funded universities in Canada, including institutions such as Yorkville University, which has campuses in 4 Canadian cities, and University Canada West, which is based in the city of Vancouver.
Many of the oldest private universities in Canada are non-secular, such as Tyndale University in Toronto and Ambrose University in Alberta.
Study timetable
Academic years at Canadian universities generally begin in September and end the following May/June. Years are divided into two semesters.
The first semester in Canada is often called the Fall semester and commences in September, ending in December, with a break over the Christmas and new year period.
The second semester, usually named the Winter semester, but also named Spring semester in some provinces, begins in January and will usually end in May.
The period between the end of the second semester and the start of the next academic year is called the summer semester, during which most students will enjoy a break from their studies.
This differs slightly in the province of Québec, where the Fall semester runs from September to December, the Winter semester runs from January to April, and the Summer semester from May to August.
Similarly to colleges in the United States, most universities in Canada offer optional summer semester classes for students who wish to continue their studies over the summer period.
Study levels
University study in Canada follows the 3 cycle system, which means that studies in the country are divided as follows:
Cycle 1 – Undergraduate
Bachelors degrees in Canada take between 3-4 years of full-time study to complete.
Cycle 2 – Graduate
Masters degrees in Canada generally take 2 years of full-time study to complete
Cycle 3 – Post-graduate
Doctoral programmes usually take 4 years of full-time study to complete
University rankings
To help choose your university, you may want to consult world university ranking tables to assist with your decision. These rankings generally take into account factors that will have a direct effect on your studies, such as the staff to student ratio, and factors that may have a direct effect on your future, such as employability of university graduates.
Our table below shows the top 15 Canadian universities according to 3 well-known world university rankings:
| University | Times Higher Education World University Ranking | Best Global Universities | QS World University Ranking |
| University of Toronto | 21 | 17 | 25 |
| University of British Columbia | 41 | 39 | 38 |
| McGill University | 49 | 56 | 29 |
| McMaster University | 103 | 127 | 176 |
| University of Alberta | 109 | 150 | 96 |
| Université de Montréal | 111 | 174 | 159 |
| University of Waterloo | 158 | 192 | 115 |
| University of Ottawa | 177 | 218 | 189 |
| University of Calgary | 201–250 | 206 | 198 |
| Western University | 201–250 | 311 | 120 |
| Université Laval | 251–300 | 439 | 423 |
| Queen’s University | 251–300 | 359 | 193 |
| Simon Fraser University | 251–300 | 408 | 319 |
| Dalhousie University | 301–350 | 352 | 275 |
| University of Manitoba | 351–400 | 417 | 661-670 |